Giving Thanks in the Time of Christ the King

While American tradition offers thanks in the land of the free and home of the brave, some still await the promise of freedom with a bravery found in defiant hope.

Before celebrating Thanksgiving in America – even if you’re not in America – I asked the readers of These Stone Walls to read and ponder anew our annual classic Thanksgiving post, “The True Story of Thanksgiving: Squanto, the Pilgrims, and the Pope.” Over the few years since I wrote it, some readers have said that it has become a part of their own annual Thanksgiving tradition.

The story that post tells is a true account of history that most other sources left in the footnotes. It’s also a story that has deep meaning for us who have endured painful losses in this odyssey called life, the loss of loved ones, the loss of health, of happiness, of hope, the unjust loss of freedom. For some, the litany of loss can be long and painful, and it could drive us all into an annual major holiday depression.

It has helped me and those around me to consider the story of Squanto. History is too often passed down by victors alone. The story of the Mayflower Pilgrims who fled religious persecution (though they didn’t really) to endure the wilds of a brave new world (though they didn’t endure it at all) is well known.

But it has been stripped of a far more accurate and inspiring story under its surface. It’s the story of Tisquantum, known to history as Squanto, the sole indigenous survivor of a place called The Dawn Land, now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. Having been chained up and taken on an odyssey of my own, I found very special meaning in the story of Squanto’s quiet but powerful impact on American history. So will you.

If you have followed our recent posts, then you know that a spirit of Thanksgiving has become a greater challenge for us behind These Stone Walls this year. But with a little time and perspective, my friends here and I find that our list of all for which we give thanks has actually grown in size and clarity.

From the earliest days of TSW since its inception in 2009, we have tried to live within a single core principle. I first discovered it in the classic book by Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning (Beacon Press 1992). It’s a fundamental truth about coping with life’s litany of loss with a central liberating theme: “The one freedom that can never be taken from us is the freedom to choose the person we will be in any circumstance.”

In Frankl’s own words, his story of survival in Auschwitz, the darkest of prisons, was in part inspired by the same person who inspires us. Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a prisoner, but he was first and foremost a Catholic priest who survived heroically by giving his life to save another. “Survived” might seem a strange word to use. Father Maximilian was murdered, his earthly remains reduced to smoke and ash in the skies above Auschwitz.

But he survives still. I am certain of this. The Nazi commandant whose power over others extinguished countless lives is now just a footnote on history. I don’t even know his name. But Saint Maximilian lives forever among the communion of saints. He lives in mysterious communion with us behind These Stone Walls with the same truth that inspired Victor Frankl to survive and write:

“We must never forget that we also find meaning in life even when confronted by a hopeless situation. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential to turn a personal tragedy into a triumph. When we are no longer able to change a situation… we are challenged to change ourselves.” (Man’s Search for Meaning, p. 116)

THE FOLLY OF LIVING WITH RESENTMENT

Sometimes readers write to ask me how it is that I am still (relatively?) sane after 23 years of unjust imprisonment. They ask how it is that I still have faith, and why I do not seem to be bitter or resentful when I write. But I HAVE been bitter and resentful about the losses and sorrows life has tossed at me. It’s just that I came to recognize that living in anger and resentment is like mixing a toxic brew for your enemies and then drinking it yourself. It is to live in a self-imposed prison, a relentless assault upon your very self.

Once you become ready to let go of bitterness and cease to be governed by resentment, faith and hope are what grows in its place. It’s like a plant that springs up from a tiny crack in the urban concrete. You simply cannot hold onto your bitterness and your faith at the same time. One of them always gives way to the other.

I find lots of inspiration for this from the readers of These Stone Walls. Consider “Father Jim,” the anonymous author of the TSW guest post, “On the Fatherhood of Bishops with Disposable Priests.” Father Jim faced his senior years as a priest with a money-driven uncorroborated claim of sexual abuse alleged to have happened in 1972, but emerged only forty years later.

The diocese he served for his entire life simply discarded him while taking shelter under the terms of the U.S. Bishops’ Dallas Charter policy that prohibits both justice and mercy. But when “Father Jim” wrote of his experience in his very moving guest post, it was clear that he is one of the most faithful priests I know. When he could not change his situation, he changed himself. He endures his alienation as a share in the suffering of Christ for the life of the very Church that set him aside.

Several months after writing “On the Fatherhood of Bishops with Disposable Priests,” “Father Jim” was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The easiest question to ask is “What’s left to be taken from him?” But it’s a question this good priest will not ask. Instead, he wrote me a deeply moving letter in which he made an offering of his suffering in spiritual support of me, that I might survive prison mentally and spiritually.

It is because of this that I am sane. It is because of this that I believe.

MY THANKSGIVING FOR IRONY

And I am also thankful for the inspiration of irony. If you have been reading These Stone Walls all along, our stories are filled with it. Here’s a very recent example sent to me from a dear TSW reader, Kathleen Riney. Kathleen is a retired nurse living in Texas. Her beloved husband, Tom, died from cancer earlier this year, and Kathleen wrote that she found spiritual refuge in These Stone Walls.

Kathleen wrote to me earlier this month. Back in September, near the September 23 feast day of Saint Padre Pio, I had attached at the end of a post several posts I had written in honor of him. One of them made reference to a post-Communion prayer written by Padre Pio: “Stay With Me Lord.” I attached it to a TSW post way back in November, 2009. It was at the end of my two part post, “The Sacrifice of the Mass” (Part 1 and Part 2).

Kathleen wrote that while her husband, Tom, was in the last weeks of his life, she gave him a copy of that prayer printed from that older post. The downloaded page had her name and email address at the top. She had rented a reclining hospital chair to help keep him comfortable. Many months after Tom died, and just after we reposted a link to the post with that prayer, Kathleen received this message in her email:

“Kathleen, my name is Kristine. I rented a recliner from Aaron’s rents. I found a paper with the “Stay With Me, Lord” prayer in the chair. I wanted to let you know that the prayer has helped me. I’m scheduled for surgery on November 1st and the surgery is the reason I rented the chair. Somehow that prayer found me and has strengthened me. I wanted to let you know that you touched a stranger in a great way!!! I will read it often. I hope all is well in your life. Thank you, Kristine.”

Accounts such as this are easy to dismiss as mere coincidence, but only if you really struggle to live life only on its surface without ever delving into what I recently called “the deep unseen” in the great Tapestry of God. As a result of this awareness, I can no longer take comfort in my own comfort. I can no longer offer Thanksgiving for a life in which all is well. For life has never been well, but I have seen first hand the grace that brings me to a plateau of trust that good is brought forth from suffering even when I cannot see it.

DONALD TRUMP IS PRESIDENT BUT CHRIST IS KING!

The ripples of turmoil brought through the airwaves by the recent U.S. presidential election have been staggering, and deeply dividing. I think I pinpointed at least a dozen future posts about the role of the media in all this, the great divide that leaves us at the brink of ideological civil war, and the self-centered pathology that is rising up in America’s elite that insists the majority of Americans did not know what they were doing when they cast their votes.

But I was very heartened by one aspect of this election. My view of Mr. Trump has not improved much, but my impression of my fellow Americans went up a notch. If we can trust the exit poll, fifty-six percent of those who voted cited their concern for the future of the Supreme Court as the deciding factor in their vote. The second highest deciding factor was the future of religious liberty. A great wave of silent Americans spoke loudly and clearly, and our politics will never be the same.

I am not delusional. I know that my posts on These Stone Walls had nothing to do with the outcome of this election, but some of our recent posts called for sober reflection on those very same concerns. Now it is time for Catholics to give thanks for our faith, to live boldly what we believe, and to refuse to stay quietly in that imposed Basket of Deplorables.

This Jubilee Year of Mercy came to a close on the Solemnity of Christ the King. I found it fascinating that the Gospel proclaimed at Mass that day was Saint Luke’s account of the exchange between Jesus and two condemned men from their respective crosses (Luke 23: 35-43). This scene was at the heart of one of the most widely read and shared posts on TSW: “Dismas, Crucified to the Right: Paradise Lost and Found.”

That post is filled with irony as it explores something hidden in the deep unseen in the Tapestry of God. It unfolds from the Cross in the words between Christ and the man history has come to call Saint Dismas. In the Second Reading on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Saint Paul affirms that Christ in that very scene “is the image of the invisible God [who] delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

Three years ago on the Solemnity of Christ the King, the same readings left an indelible mark as Pornchai Maximilian Moontri and I entered that day into Consecration to Jesus through Mary at the conclusion of our 33 Days to Morning Glory. I wrote of this recently in a new article published in the Winter 2016 issue of Marian Helper magazine entitled “The Doors that Have Unlocked” (scroll to pp 22-23).

I hope you will read it, post it, and share it on social media, Doing so lets Catholic editors know that this is an important story for the Church. When I wrote that article back in September, I could not foresee that life might become even more difficult for us, but please do not mourn for our losses.

Our Father to whom we give thanks has made good on His promise. He has in fact delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. In the three years since our Consecration, everything has changed, both in us and around us. Dozens of our fellow prisoners, and hundreds of TSW readers entered into this same Consecration. Who could not be thankful for this?

It is you for whom we give thanks behind These Stone Walls. It is for your pilgrimage of faith in this odyssey of life, that has brought you here in communion with us at the foot of the Cross, that we today bow in humble thanksgiving to the image of the invisible God.

About Fr. Gordon J. MacRae

The late Cardinal Avery Dulles and The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus encouraged Father MacRae to write. Cardinal Dulles wrote in 2005: “Someday your story and that of your fellow sufferers will come to light and will be instrumental in a reform. Your writing, which is clear, eloquent, and spiritually sound will be a monument to your trials.” READ MORE

Comments

May God repay you abundantly all the good pouring from you on us through your life and words. Most of it will not be known to you in this life but you can be be sure we are receiving the blessings at this end.

Taking issue on your own post-election comment, It would be interesting to know if concern for life before birth counted high on the list at the hour of voting.

We are praying here for the Holy Spirit to give you, Father Gordon, the light and strength you may need. This also goes for you, Pornchai Max, and all of your companions.

Whew…Hello and God bless you, Fr. Gordon. You have really picked a power-packed message once again. There’s so much to digest, so much to meditate on.

One thing you’ve brought to my mind were the words of Jesus to Dismas. 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.”

For years, and I mean years, I was so confused by this verse. Why? Because, Jesus told Mary, in the garden, after His Resurrection, that he had not yet ascended to the Father. This meant, to me, that, while hanging on the cross, telling the good thief that he would be with Him in Paradise that day, couldn’t be possible. Jesus wasn’t going to be there, then!

Not many years ago, I came across one line that said; ‘back in the days of Jesus, there was NO punctuation; no commas, no quote marks, no colons or semi’s…etc. Oh! That made so much sense to me, then. It felt as though my sanity was saved. So now, when I read these very same words: “…today you will be with me in paradise”, I put the comma AFTER the word ‘today’, not before it. Now, it makes sense to me.

Your whole blog, this week, makes perfect sense, Father Gordon. I could reply to so many of your words, but, it would take so much more space, and I would be monopolizing your messages. Having said that, Father Gordon, please accept my deepest appreciation for this message, this week. It is outstanding, to say the least,
albeit, that is the norm, with your posts. You surely do knock my socks off. And yes, my feet are getting cold.

God bless and thank you, once again, for sharing so much wisdom with us and being an example to us on how to follow Jesus, especially thru suffering. You do it well!

Thank you for this wonderful message of thanksgiving and hope, Father Gordon.
I pray that you and Pornchai may soon live in a cell of your own again. It is unimaginable what you have to endure behind TSW. May our Lord stay with you – always!

Happy Thanksgiving, Father.
My prayer is that you help in the conversion of all of your cell-mates!
I am only one of many who will thank God for you today.
God bless you and Max!
With our love and prayers,
Kathy, Don, Mary Martha, Jim, David, John, Matt, Caryn, Hanah, Vicki, Alan and heck- everyone from Texas!

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and Pornchai and Chen. We are heading to PA to visit with our children and grandchildren for a weekend of Joy. But even within our joy there is a son who is not with us by choice, and other sufferings during the year. None of us escapes this. But the joy of Thanksgiving is but a day to reflect on the great blessings mixed in with the inevitable sufferings until Christ comes again.

As you continue to count your blessings in your confinement, but the doors of love burst open for you and your friends to give and receive that love that comes from above.
Sharon

Dear Fr Gordon,
Blessed Thanksgiving to you and Pornchai, Chen and the rest of your numerous cell mates. Once again, you write wth such truth and clarity it pierces the heart! I forwarded your post on Facebook with the preface, ” read Fr. Gordon MacRae’s post on Thanksgiving and you will never view Thanksgiving the same again! With my own personal situation, what will forever quietly shout out in my heart is the line you quote from Vicktor Frankl, ” The one freedom that can never be taken from us is the freedom to choose what person we will be under any circumstance” Alleluia! How liberating these words! Quoted by an innocently jailed Catholic priest behind stone walls 24 years! You cannot imagine the power and encouragement these words give to us quoted by you and your unthinkable situation and our own painful yet far easier circumstances! My eyes are filled with tears! You Pornchai and other prisoners have given me the courage to keep “rising up” speaking truth, raising my sails to the wind and most importantly, standing at the foot of the cross beside you. What a great blessing to know you through your posts! I am so thankful for your life, your faithfulness! I end this comment with a line from a song I wrote “Come to the Cross” It’s our Lady’s voice speaking, “Come to the Cross, come stand by Me, I who am your Mother, love you tenderly. I see your tears, I know your pain, in my own Heart, I felt the same. Come to the Cross! ” we adore You O Christ and we bless You, because by Your Holy cross You have redeemed the world”
Honored to stand beside you,
Annie

Hi Fr. Gordon!
I am not surprised that Kathleen touched another’s life in a positive way, even inadvertently. She is a remarkable lady of great faith and I am blessed to call her friend!
I heard a beautiful message last night at a Thanksgiving Eccumenical service.
It revolved around the 10 lepers being healed as a thanksgiving story.
We are “cured” of our sins but it is in the thanksgiving for this that we are made whole.
If the thanks is missing, we miss out on the most important gift from Him.
We should be thankful for all that He gives us, even that which we don’t recognize as gift, a share in His suffering that He endured for us. The preacher was the son of a preacher and quite gifted at only 22 years of age! His father sat there in awe of his son preaching so beautifully! His face gazing at his son was amazing! It was only a small group in the congregation but you could have heard a pin drop!
Wishing you all a Blessed Thanksgiving. Prayers are ongoing with Mass and Rosary. There is to be a new 54 day Rosary for our new president starting Nov 28th. Here is the link for those interested. https://www.novenaforournation.com/
Love and prayers, Jeannie Diemer

Dear Fr. G.
Am going to paste what I tapped out when I shared your Post. Having to type with 1 eye closed. Sorta like a Geriatric, “Popeye”! 😆
“From Fr. G.! We’re So Blessed to have Him!
His Life & Commitment to Christ as a Priest,
are one of the Brightest Lights we have!
Fr. G. Teaches Christ Crucified with his Daily Life! He Shares with us, His (Fr.G.’s)
Own Experience, Strength, & Hope!
All 3 Earned by his Daily Life of Acceptance & Sacrifice! In his 24th YEAR of FALSE IMPRISONMENT, FOR Refusing to “Cop a Plea”!! May God have Mercy on THOSE Who Are KEEPING HIM THERE!!http://www.thesestonewalls.com
ps: Fr. G. & Max,
(Max is Fr. G.’s “Timothy”)
were recently Removed from their 2 man Cell, & placed in a Cell Meant for 4-(FOUR!)
MEN–THERE ARE 8-(EIGHT!!) MEN CRAMNED IN IT!! That’s What Happens to All In Prison Who “Stubbornly Refuse” to Acknowledge “GUILT”!! EVEN WHEN THE CHARGES WERE PROVED FALSE!!”http://www.thesestonewalls.com
Further, we’re (my daughter & I) going to Plaster our FB Pages with Your Posts, Again!
And remember Fr. G., True Humility demands that you Accept Compliments! I know it’s Very difficult for you to do that, but Christ has Worked Wonders In & Through you, because You’re Willing! It was a Great SURPRISE, (& a dose of Reality to my ego!) to me as well! Jesus is NOT PICKY!! He Accepts ALL Offers to Work in HIS Fields! No Resumes or References Required! One Simply has to be “Willing”.
You’re All in our Prayers, et al….Please keep me in yours as well! My “short fuse” and tolerance for STUPID, unlike Wine, has not aged well!! 🙄💜

I read all the posts you write. I came across your posts last year so I have a lot to catch up on. I understand your situation. I read all of Victor Frankel’s books. As a matter of fact he visited Worcester State College, now University, to talk. It was very interesting.
I felt very much like a captive as a child. I have a good family but we lived across the street from a pedophile. I have five brothers and was always in their company so my mother only said stay away from there. I did. However, one early evening the neighborhood kids were all playing hide and seek. Somehow, he must have been watching me, and he got me. My life changed. My family noticed it. I became withdraw, I was always shy anyway. My mother was suspect so she said to me that Mr. P. is not a nice man. When he lived in the next town over he had a bad reputation and that I should tell her if anything happened. Well, my mom wasn’t the nice fuzzy kind of mom. Seven children, 5 boys, 2 girls and a husband who works hard and long hours to support us all left her alone to raise the kids. I was truly afraid I would get blamed and said nothing. Little by little over many many years all of that stuff has taken a back seat in my life. I worked in libraries from 14 years old on. When I got married, I worked in my kids school libraries etc. Anyway, being shy, books are my best friends. I read exhaustively on WWII. I had five uncles in the war. They all came home. TYG. My husband says he’ll sell all my books to pay for my funeral. He’s very patient with me and I with him. We all have foibles. We have four kids, 12 grandkids and 7 great grands. Two sons in CA, they said “who would live in MA when CA has such great weather, one daughter in KY where she met her ex-husband at college, and my youngest about 45 min. from our house in Rochdale, MA. My kids have 3 kids each. I think I take after my mom. I always railed against the “tidy two” a girl for me and a boy for you. So each of my kids had three. I have very good kids. Two have remained Catholic, one calls himself an atheist, I don’t believe it, and the other is leaning toward the Episcopal Church, which is her second husband’s religion. Also, she had quit the Catholic Church because her cheating husband was a Eucharistic Minister every Sunday. I’m rambling now, so I’ll close. My prayers are with you and for you daily. You are not alone. With the Love of Jesus,
Jane Raboin